Vice President Omar Suleiman must supervise the process of political reform, says Ahmed Zewail, an Egyptian Nobel prize-winning scientist. This demand is one of six conditions the scientist believes must be satisfied in order to find a way out of the current "crisis." Speaking at a press conference held yesterday after Suleiman met with several public figures including Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa and the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Zewail said such meetings could help to solve the current crisis. Zewail's conditions also include the formation of a council of trusted legal experts and public figures to amend the Constitution. Amendments should include articles 76, 77, 88 and 179 of the Constitution. Also, a time frame should be set for democratic elections following the dissolution of parliament. Zewail said his third condition is the abolition of Emergency Law and the amendment of laws governing the formation of political parties and the exercise of political rights. The fourth condition is the release of political detainees belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, the 6 April and 25 January movements, and other opposition groups. The fifth condition is the holding of free elections characterized by integrity under the full supervision of the judiciary as soon as possible. Zewail's final sixth demand is the introduction of far-reaching change regarding the Egyptian media, including granting a greater margin of freedom to private media, allowing opposition figures to appear in state-run media, abolishing freedom-restricting legislation, and refraining from harassing international media.
